San Francisco Neighborhoods · Bret Harte
Bret Harte
Fog zoneA tiny, easy-to-miss residential pocket in San Francisco's far southeast, tucked between the freeways near the Bayview and Portola edges.
- Quiet, modest, residential southeast SF
- Near McLaren Park green space
- Close to Caltrain and Muni lines
- Bayview and Portola dining a short ride away
On the map
Open Bret Harte on the map →The story
The neighborhood takes its name from Bret Harte (1836–1902), the Gold Rush-era writer whose 1868 story 'The Luck of Roaring Camp' made him one of the first California authors to win an international following. The pocket itself is one of the city's smallest neighborhoods, a cluster of modest homes wedged among the freeway corridors near the U.S. 101 and Interstate 280 interchange. It sits along the Bayview's industrial southeastern edge, bordered by Silver Terrace, the Portola, and the Bayshore corridor. Largely residential and ringed by industrial blocks, it remains obscure even to many lifelong San Franciscans.
Things most people don’t know
Named for a Gold Rush writer
Bret Harte (1836–1902) wrote 'The Luck of Roaring Camp' and was among the first California authors to gain international fame.
Wedged among freeways
The small residential pocket sits near the U.S. 101 / Interstate 280 interchange in the city's far southeast.
McLaren Park nearby
John McLaren Park, San Francisco's second-largest park at roughly 313 acres, sits just to the west above the Portola.
Bayshore Caltrain close by
The Bayshore Caltrain station at 400 Tunnel Ave is a short hop south, linking the area down the Peninsula.
Eating and drinking near Bret Harte
Bret Harte is primarily residential — these sit in the Bayview, the Portola.
Restaurants
- The Old Clam House · 299 Bayshore Blvd
- Breakfast at Tiffany's · 2499 San Bruno Ave
- Old Skool Cafe · 1429 Mendell St
Getting around and getting care
Transit. Muni 9-San Bruno and 8-Bayshore buses serve the nearby San Bruno Ave and Bayshore corridors; the T-Third light rail runs along Third St in the Bayview. Bayshore Caltrain station at 400 Tunnel Ave is just south.
Nearest hospital. Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, 1001 Potrero Ave (about 4 mi)
Thinking about Bret Harte?
Send me an address and I will come back with its sun, wind and fog, what is under it, and what has closed on the block.